Bringing the Arms race to Darlington

READERS afflicted by pavement cyclists may be interested in a device my brothers and I made a few years ago for a TV programme. It consisted of a steel plate studded with spikes and hinged at one end which could be attached to a walking stick and folded up. On the approach of an errant cyclist on the footpath, a flick of a finger could deploy this mini stinger into the cyclist’s path. The resultant punctures to a bike tyre immediately transformed the rider to a pedestrian.

P W Anderson, Consett , County Durham

This declaration of cold war by the Echo has just been warmed up somewhat by a snappy response by blogger Karl McCracken:

The thing is, I’ve been thinking for some time that I need a sting in my own tail . Just as PW Anderson feels the need for a first-strike weapon against bicycles, I feel I need one against certain drivers. In this crazy arms race, I’ve realised that I need something to really discourage those drivers who think they can pass as close as they like – so long as they don’t actually hit you , there’s no harm done. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Could this be what is termed the “Green Economy” in action, the “jobs answer” to the proposed slashing of North East jobs by our new government? Whatever, we look forward to the Northern Echo’s next joyful celebration of cyclist bashing.

PS Memo to Peter Barron : Many new cyclists use pavements, particularly alongside busy roads, when there is no cycle path. Discuss.

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